FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information contact: Paul Hazen, executive director 202-957-9298

Hazen to Obama: Cooperatives Offer Sustainable Solution to Food Security

OCDC members are leading the way to increased food production and greater national security
Washington, D.C. (May 18, 2012)Executive Director of the US Overseas Cooperative Development Council Paul Hazen today praised President Obama for launching a major new partnership with the Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition to reduce hunger and lift tens of millions of people from poverty. Food security is an aspect of sustainable development that leads to greater national security, Hazen said. Cooperatives are values-based businesses that offer a sustainable solution to many of the worlds most pressing needs, from food security to gender equality. We are pleased that President Obama has recognized the contribution cooperatives can make to addressing social and economic issues. OCDC and its members are ready to continue partnering with the US Government to alleviate poverty and achieve food security in Africa. In his remarks, President Obama called on the private sector, including cooperatives, to make concrete and continuing commitments to agriculture in Africa. Today, I can announce that 45 companies -- from major international corporations to African companies and cooperatives -have pledged to invest more than $3 billion to kick off this effort the President said. Cooperatives have been leaders in food security for decades. According to the Global Forum on Local Development, investments which support the establishment and operation of farmer and producer cooperatives have demonstrated success in improving food security, and can help to address the imbalance between smallholder farmers and other stakeholders in the value chain. According to Jos Graziano da Silva, director general of the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, FAO needs strong cooperatives and producer organizations as key partners in the effort to eliminate hunger.

OCDC, 2029 K Street, N.W., 7th Floor, Washington, DC 20006 Telephone: 202-478-2067 Email: p h a z e n @ o c d c . c o o p Website: www.OCDC.coop
Cooperative Enterprise Builds a Better World

Members of OCDC are now engaged in multi-year food security projects in Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe, said Hazen. In these projects, OCDC members are committed to developing cooperatives in order to secure a more sustainable solution for these nations, he continued. The Washington, DC-based National Cooperative Business Association is operating one of the original programs for the USAID-funded Feed the Future Initiative in Senegal through its CLUSA International program. To combat food insecurity in Senegal, CLUSA has embarked on a five-year, $40 million program to accelerate the participation of the very poor in rural economic growth and to catalyze sustainable development with Senegals agriculture sector and improve the key dimensions of food security access, availability, utilization and stability. USAID| Yaajeende employs an innovative, country-led and integrated approach to tackle the underlying issues which hold back the very poor from becoming integral and active members of the rural, agricultural marketplace. Cooperative development is a key to a sustainable solution for all aspects of the program. About OCDC OCDC brings together organizations committed to building a more prosperous world through cooperatives. Its mission is to champion, advocate and promote effective international cooperative development. OCDC members are global leaders in cooperative development in Africa, Latin America and Asia. With projects in over 70 counties, OCDC members implement the largest portfolio of cooperative development programs in the world. Members are: ACDI/VOCA, CHF International, Cooperative Resources International, Communications Cooperative International, HealthPartners, Land O'Lakes, International Development, National Cooperative Business Association, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and the World Council of Credit Unions.

OCDC, 2029 K Street, N.W., 7th Floor, Washington, DC 20006 Telephone: 202-478-2067 Email: p h a z e n @ o c d c . c o o p Website: www.OCDC.coop
Cooperative Enterprise Builds a Better World